The Empire turns 27: Empire East’s 27 years at the forefront of real estate

The year 2021 marks real estate giant Empire East's 27th year in the industry. From being a rookie to one of the biggest developers in the country, Empire East has been making a legacy in the field, one victorious year at a time.  

Empire East started as the Community Housing Division of Megaworld, with the primary charter of developing and selling affordable housing projects. On July 15, 1994, Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. was registered as a publicly listed company with a renewed focus on the middle-income residential segment.

A success that's rooted in history

Among many notable events in the history of Empire East, its proven resilience and adaptability have taken the company to where it is today. Part of the giant's great timeline is its triumphant feat at the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis onset. It was then that the company built the name of "The Innovator" and stood its ground as one of the leading real estate developers in the country.

Empire East President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu recalls the first time he was asked by Empire East Founder and Chairman Dr. Andrew L. Tan to lead the company. At the beginning of his career, the economy was at the brink of collapse due to the contracting economy and investors' fear as companies closed one by one. Atty. Yu intrepidly spearheaded the then-rookie developer and catalyzed some of the inherent concepts that have become industry trends. Today, the company boasts of an impressive portfolio of unparalleled communities in and at the fringe of Metro Manila- communities that are proof and witness of Empire East's perdurable legacy.

An outstanding roster of completed projects

For more than two decades, Empire East has proven its excellence and dedication to building unparalleled communities with more than 100 condominium towers completed in key areas of Metro Manila and two horizontal developments in Laguna. Its impressive roster of prime homes includes San Lorenzo Place in Makati City, The Rochester and Kasara Urban Resort Residences in Pasig City, and the Little Baguio Terraces in San Juan City. 

Among its upcoming developments are The Paddington Place in Mandaluyong City, Mango Tree Residences in San Juan City, and its biggest project, the Empire East Highland City in the Pasig-Cainta area. 

Giving back to communities

Empire East has a unique way of celebrating milestones. In 2019, in time for its 25th anniversary, employees and the salesforce initiated 25 pockets of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects under the company's official CSR arm, "Empire East Cares." To make their silver year celebration special, the expenses for these pocket CSR initiatives came from the officers and employees as their way of giving back to the community-- truly mirroring the compassionate and kindhearted workforce that Empire East has.

In 2018, as a way of giving back to its communities, Empire East, in partnership with Gawad Kalinga, distributed housing units for displaced families in Tunasan, Muntinlupa City. Even before the company launched its official CSR arm in 2019, its efforts and initiatives had already helped neighboring communities outside the metro.

Empire East's vision of building unparalleled communities extends beyond building high quality and sustainable developments-- the company commits to taking a holistic approach to achieve its goal by reaching out to communities to offer relief and inspiration to dream more in life.

Impact more than accolades

Although 27 years seem to have passed by in a snap, the road to success hadn't been swift for the real estate giant. Nonetheless, the company has received well-deserved recognition from local and international award-giving bodies, reflecting its impact on the real estate industry and the stakeholders it serves.

Empire East and President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne Yu bagged multiple recognitions from prominent award-giving bodies like the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards 2019 for Outstanding Leaders in Asia, 2019 South East Asia Business Awards for Best Residential Real Estate Development Company, PropertyGuru's Philippine Property Awards in 2019 for Best Mid-End Condo, and Best High-rise Affordable Condo Development, 2020 ACES awards for Asia's Best Performing Companies, and the Gold Winner for Excellence in Brand CSR at the recently concluded 2020 Panata Awards.

Transforming challenges to opportunities amidst crisis

2020 marked one of the most challenging timelines for local businesses and leaders.

Although spearheading a company through rough waters is not uncanny to Empire East President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu, this pandemic poses a different challenge to both its operations and its people. But Atty. Yu has always been proactive in imposing necessary measures and guiding his team during these erratic times.

Even before the pandemic hit the country, Yu had already implemented innovative solutions to foreseeable challenges, including creating a future-proof roadmap to digitalization and sustainability.

While the company had just fully adapted transmutation last year, digitalization has always been evident in the internal and external processes of the company. This allowed employees and the salesforce to adjust to the situation and still deliver excellent results despite the circumstances. 

With a certain level of preparedness and an existing experience, Atty. Yu handled the crisis gracefully and considered it a catalyst for opportunities, change, and improvements.